Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Rating – 5 out of 5

As the world it taken over by a mysterious illness human society crumbles to the point that nothing is as it was. In the aftermath of society’s demise a group of people decide to organize a traveling symphony to preserve the works of Shakespeare and humanities interest in the arts. Station Eleven, highlights the story of interconnected people as we follow them through the apocalypse, and what was created after.

Favorite Quote

“The first issue falls open to a two-page spread. Dr. Eleven stands on dark rocks overlooking an indigo sea at twilight. Small boats move between islands, wind turbines spinning on the horizon. He holds his fedora in his hand. A small white animal stands by this side… A line of text across the bottom of the frame: I stood looking over my damaged home and tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth.”

– Station Eleven, Pg. 42

Why I liked Station Eleven

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Station Eleven follows the eve of the apocalypse and the characters that live through the demise of society. I was gripped by the horror of what they experienced as humanity lost so many people so quickly. While the story has a good ending, it was rough through certain parts and caused me to think about what I would do in this type of situation. In fact, I was so taken with this thought I could not sleep one night and to get back up and finish the novel to get resolution. I have not had a book so disturbed and give me hope in a long time.

Another thing I appreciated about Station Eleven was that the descriptions of the world after did not shy away from the horror that could be. Some of the details were downright gruesome but entirely apt for a world where humanity is stretched on resources. There is also a great deal of hope in this book about the parts of humanity that would outlive an apocalypse. Especially among the symphony there is still family and hope that as time goes on there will be more than just survival. That is why they perform. And why I loved this book so much.

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